Where there was once a Crazy Golf course

A look at the site of a one-day only art pop-up crazy golf course in Bedford.

Alexandra Road, just off Midland Road, in Bedford was once the site for a one-day-only art installation minigolf course. There are plans for the vacant site is to be used for residential and commercial premises

Related blog posts:
- M!MS Empire Sunset Nine Hole Mini Golf course in Bedford

- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

- Bedford

Celiac Awareness Month 2015

May is Celiac Awareness Month.

The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) is supporting Celiac Awareness Month that will take place throughout May.

Coeliac Disease (Celiac in the US and Canada) is a lifelong autoimmune disease caused by intolerance to gluten and the only treatment is to adhere to a strict lifelong gluten free diet.

In the UK it's estimated that 1 in 100 people have the condition, in the USA the figure is 1 in 133.

It's important to know and remember that Celiac/Coeliac is NOT an allergy, it's NOT a preference, it's NOT a fad, it's NOT a diet, it's NOT an intolerance, it's NOT a choice - it's an AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE.

I was diagnosed with Coeliac Disease in May 2008

In the UK, Coeliac Awareness Week is taking place from 11 to 17 May. For more information check out the Coeliac UK website and the Awareness Week page. Last year I was Minigolfing gluten free in Margate during Coeliac Awareness Week.

Visit the Celiac Central website for more information on their work and Celiac Awareness Day.

In the USA Celiac Awareness Day is on Sunday 13 September. For more information visit the Celiac Central website and see my blog post about Celiac Awareness Day 2014.

Related blog posts:
- Coeliac Awareness Week 2015
- Celiac Awareness Day 2014
- Coeliac UK Awareness Week 2014 and the Gluten-free guarantee
- Minigolfing gluten free in Margate
- What a Day, Week and Month! (2013)

- Awareness Week: Coeliac Facts from Udi's Gluten Free

- Gluten Free
- Coeliac
- Funny things about being a Coeliac
- Read my Gluten Free Journey blog on the Udi's gluten free website

Links:
- National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) / Celiac Central
- Coeliac UK

The funniest thing I saw today

Why wouldn't a dog climb into a stack of shopping baskets!

A dog at the Dog Stop at Waitrose in Leighton Buzzard

Despite the best efforts of a member of staff the dog didn't fancy moving. It was happy as Larry in there.

May is National Golf Month

Organised by the British Golf Industry Association, National Golf Month will be taking place during May 2015.

My main sport is Minigolf, but I can often be found pitching & putting around the 9-hole Golf courses at Stockwood Park (pictured) and Tea Green in Luton

National Golf Month gives golf clubs the opportunity to promote offers through the National Golf Month website to reach both lapsed and new golfers.

The BGIA operates under the umbrella of the Federation of Sport and Play Associations (FSPA) and is the lead trade body representing UK manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors of golf products and services.

On our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour Emily and I have visited almost 600 miniature golf courses, some of which are located at 'regular' golf courses. Quite a few golf clubs and centres are building new Adventure Golf style layouts to encourage people to take up the BIG game.

Hoebridge Golf Centre in Woking went all out on its new Adventure Golf course

In April 2012 we visited and played the world's first miniature golf course - The Himalayas - at the home of Golf, St Andrews.

Playing the world's first Miniature Golf course

Emily on hole 18 at The Himalayas

We've also played the world's first Pitch & Putt course, located in Southsea, Hampshire.

As a fan of minigolf here's my blog post about the three 'days' for the great game.

- Minigolf Tag in Austria takes place on Sonntag 3 Mai.

- National Miniature Golf Day is on Saturday 9 May.

- Miniature Golf Day is ALWAYS on 21 September - this year it'll be on a Monday.

Since 2007 we've competed on the British Minigolf Association Tour and have played for the Great Britain Team at European and World Minigolf Sport Federation tournaments.

Check out the links below for more information on National Golf Month.

Links:
- National Golf Month at Mipins
- National Golf Month at England Golf
- British Golf Industry Association (BGIA)
- National Golf Month on Twitter
- National Golf Month on Facebook

Related blog posts:
- Golf
- Mini Golf Days
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- The Himalayas Putting Course at St Andrews, Scotland
- Two Miniature Golf Firsts
- Miniature Golf and the Olympic Games
- National Golf Day 2015
- Types and Variants of Miniature Golf visited
- Minigolf Clubs in the UK

Mr Scratchings pork crackling

Finding some more gluten free pork crackling.

Mr Scratchings Hot & Fiery Pork Crackling are gluten free

I enjoy snacking (especially when having a tipple), but finding suitable nibbles can often be a problem. That's why I was very pleased to find that Mr Scratchings Hot & Fiery Pork Crackling are gluten free. I found them on sale for 85p a bag in Trembling Madness in York.

Gluten free pork crackling from Mr Scratchings

They are quite hot & fiery

Trembling Madness also has a section of gluten free beers. I bought a couple.

Related blog posts:
- Pork Crackling
- Pork Scratchings
- Gluten free beer
- Gluten Free
- Coeliac
- Funny things about being a Coeliac

Links:
- Mr Scratchings
- Trembling Madness
- Coeliac UK

596 minigolf courses visited to date

Nearing the landmark 600th minigolf course visit on our tour.

Crazy World of Minigolf Tour Charter Members Emily Gottfried and Christopher Gottfried at Treasure Island in Southsea - the location of the first two course visits on the tour

Back when we started travelling around the UK we wanted to visit as many seaside resorts and towns as we could - there are over 500 and we've been to 193 to date.

In May 2009 the 100th course we visited overall was at Pops Meadow in Gorleston-on-Sea, Norfolk. When we played the Crazy Golf course in June 2010 it was the 174th we had a round on

The 100th course played was Smugglers Cove Adventure Golf at South Shields, Tyneside in June 2009

The Masters Putting Green in Southport was the 150th course played when we visited in September 2009

The first stop-off was Southsea to visit my little brother. While there we played the Treasure Island Adventure Golf course on the sea front and when we got home we found the excellent minigolf resource MiniatureGolfer.com that listed around 600 courses in the UK.

In September 2010 the Curse of the Mummy in 3D indoor blacklight Crazy Golf course at Xscape Yorkshire in Castleford became the 200th course played on the tour

The 400th course visited overall was at Salthouse Fields in Clevedon, North Somerset in July 2011. The Crazy Golf layout was the 258th played

In total we've visited 596 miniature golf courses and played 360 of them, some of them many times over.

In April 2012 we visited the world's first miniature golf course - The Himalayas at St Andrews

In July 2012 the Minigolf course at Wonderland in Telford, Shropshire became a double landmark course as it was the 300th played and 500th visited overall

The second hole at Wonderland Telford was made of wooden planks!

We've visited and played minigolf in each of the home nations, and so far 21 of the courses we've visited have been overseas - including locations in Finland, the USA, Austria, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden and Hong Kong.

Emily plays hole 18 of the 250th course played on the tour in June 2011. This was in Stockholm, Sweden while we were on international duty as part of the Great Britain team.The 50th course played was also a 'Beton' style of minigolf course while we were playing for GB in Tampere, Finland in May 2008

In total, our travels have taken us to 458 different places in the UK, and that's not including the many many many little places we've stopped at briefly. And of the 193 seasides we've been to so far we've played, or visited, minigolf courses at 120 of them.

The Swedish Felt B-Run style of minigolf at Mead Open Farm in Billington, Bedfordshire was the 350th course played on the tour, and 584th played overall when we had a game there in October 2014

Where will the 600th course be...?

Link:
- MiniatureGolfer.com

Related blog posts:
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Types and Variants of Minigolf
- Landmark minigolf courses visited and played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

Like the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour on Facebook, check out our YouTube channel and follow me and Emily on Twitter.

Eternit Miniature Golf in Herne Bay

An old postcard from Herne Bay reveals a miniature golf course.

While at the York International Postcard Expo we found a bumper crop of postcards showing minigolf, crazy golf and putting courses from around the UK, and one from South Africa.

A postcard from the seaside resort of Herne Bay in Kent was an exciting and interesting find as it showed the town was once home to an 'Eternit' style of Miniature Golf course. A lovely piece of minigolf history.

The Eternit Miniature Golf course in the central foreground of the postcard (Herne Bay PT4524). The course was located on the town's Central Parade. The card is postally unused and undated. As the pier suffered fire damage in 1970 the card is from the 1960's. It was produced by Colourmaster International Photo Precision Limited, St Ives, Huntingdon

It's often thought that these 'European standard' Miniature Golf courses, often known as 'Eternit', don't exist in this country. While many have become derelict over time there are examples still standing, though they have often been amended, with a variety of new obstacles added to the 'lanes'. I've got a few other examples in my postcard collection.

We played a version of Eternit Miniature Golf at thecentre:MK a couple of times. This course has had felt added to the concrete playing surface

Unfortunately the Miniature Golf course on Ayr seafront in Scotland is a derelict example of an Eternit course

Herne Bay is still home to a Mini Golf course - it was the 78th course we played on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour back in November 2008.

You can find Herne Bay Mini Golf next to the ifun@Sandancers amusement arcade on Central Parade

Links:
- York International Postcard Expo
- Reflections of a Bygone Age
- Picture Postcard Monthly Magazine
- Herne Bay Mini Golf

Related blog posts:
- Postcard
- Postcards
- Herne Bay
- Eternit
- A Putt-Putt Postcard from South Africa

Gluten Free Hot Dog Sausages at Asda

Spotting the gluten free hot dogs in the Asda Butcher's Selection range.

While shopping at Asda in Dunstable I noticed the new sausages and hot dogs in the Butcher's Selection range. I've been hunting for gluten free Frankfurters for ages so it was great to see.

There are a lot of gluten free hot dog sausages in the Butcher's Selection range at Asda. As well as Frankfurter Hot Dogs there are Hot Dogs in BBQ Pork, Spicy Cajun, Bratwurst, Hickory Smoked Cheese & Jalapeño, Pork, Mini Pork and Footlong varieties

Many of the hot dog toppings were also gluten free and were clearly marked as such. The American Mustard Mayo, Cheese Sauce, Currywurst, Smoked BBQ and Spicy Chilli Mayo toppings and sauces are gluten free

Visit the Butcher's Selection section of the Asda website for more information on the range.

I cooked up some of the Asda Frankfurters for dinner - here's the hot dog with bacon, mustard and onions on a warmed DS Ciabatta roll (they're the nicest rolls I've found to date). It went very well with a Vagabond gluten free beer

Related blog posts:
- Gluten Free
- Coeliac
- Sausages
- Hot Dog

Links:
- Asda
- Coeliac UK

Gluten free Pretzels

Happy National Pretzel Day!

As today is National Pretzel Day here's a quick blog post about gluten free Pretzels I know of.

Gluten free Pretzels by DS Gluten Free

Gluten Free Pretzel Sticks by Barkat

As well as the Pretzel Sticks Barket make normal gluten free Pretzels.

I've found that Eskal Foods also sells Pretzels, and I've enjoyed scoffing the very nice milk chocolate coated Pretzels before too!

Related blog posts:
- Gluten Free
- Coeliac
- Funny things about being a Coeliac

Links:
- DS Gluten Free
- Barkat Gluten Free
- Eskal Foods
- Coeliac UK

Mini Golf Putting Course in Bedford

Playing the minigolf grass Putting course in Bedford's Russell Park.

The minigolf course in Russell Park, Bedford

On Saturday 18 April 2015 I made the short journey up the line from Leagrave to Bedford for a day out in the Spring sunshine. One of my things to do in the town was a visit to the Putting Green at Russell Park on The Embankment.

The Kiosk at the Park on The Embankment in Bedford offers food & drink, putting, tennis and ping pong

I first played the course in July 2010 and revisited in August 2011. It's in a very nice location next to the River Ouse.

Holing out for a two on the 15th

In my match-up against Biggleswade's number one miniature golfer Cat 'Fore' Patterson I won with a score of 50 to her 79 on the very tricky layout.

Hole 7

In only her second-ever game of minigolf (with her debut at the Pirates Cove Adventure Golf course in Great Yarmouth last year) Cat had some amazing consistency in her play. The rookie player managed to tie with me on the 8th hole when we both scored threes, and beat me with a three to my four on the last hole.

Hole one from the green

Looking back at my previous visits I have scored holes-in-one on the 14th, the 15th and on this occasion I hit an ace on the 5th hole. Always a very nice feeling on a grass Putting course.

A view of the course from the far end of the layout

A round for adults is priced at £2.90. For more information visit the Kiosk in the Park website.

The scorecards at the course are good quality

Links:
- Kiosk in the Park website
- Kiosk in the Park on Twitter
- Kiosk in the Park on Facebook
- Kiosk in the Park blog
- Pavilion in the Park website

Related blog posts:
- Bedford
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Putting Green / Mini Golf in Bedford - Crazy World of Minigolf course played #184
- Replay of Bedford's Russell Park Putting Green (Mini Golf)

Like the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour on Facebook, check out our YouTube channel and follow me and Emily on Twitter.

Stonehaven, Kincardineshire Official Holiday Guide

Finding an old Official Holiday Guide, including Mini Golf Putting, for the town of Stonehaven, Kincardineshire.

While on a day out in Bedford I noticed an Antiques and Collectors fair going on at St Paul's Church so popped in to see if I could find any minigolf postcards or ephemera.

I was in luck as I found an interesting old Official Guide for visitors to the seaside town of Stonehaven.

The Stonehaven Official Guide, designed and produced under the authority of the Town Council by Mearns Publications. Printed by Langstane Press, Aberdeen

Flicking through the guide I spotted a half page photo of the Putting and Bowling Greens on page 19.

Some of the entertainment and leisure facilities on offer to visitors to the town

On page 22 it states there were two putting courses in the town, and on page 35 the cost per round is given as 6d.

Stonehaven is on the north east coast of Scotland and lies 15 miles south of Aberdeen. Stonehaven is now a part of Aberdeenshire as Kincardinshire lost its administrative status in 1975. I couldn't find any other dates of publication of the old guide, but it is pre-decimal (before 1971). Very interesting to see the old phone numbers listed too - only four-digits long!

At a guess I would say the guide was produced in 1966. A recent event shown is the reopening of the old tolbooth by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in 1963. There is also an advert on the inside back cover for Milne's Soft Drinks and Cordials - they are endorsed by Andy Ross, the 1965 winner of the Suffolk Point to Point.

Looking online the current official website for the town is the Stonehaven Guide. You can still find a Putting course at the Stonehaven Recreation Grounds Club. Its existence was confirmed by George McGillivray of the Stonehaven Guide.

The old guide is great find, with some nice minigolf and seaside holiday history.

Over the years Emily and I have enjoyed some very nice trips to Scotland on our travels.

Links:
- Stonehaven Guide website
- Stonehaven Guide on Twitter
- Kincardineshire
- The Crazy Golf Museum

Related blog posts:
- Putting courses
- Putting greens
- Scotland

Plonk Golf Crazy Golf at Efes Snooker Hall in London

Playing the pop-up crazy golf course at Efes Snooker Hall in Dalston.

On St George's Day 2015 I attended the preview launch night of London's newest mini golf course - Plonk Golf.

Along with former minigolf Pro Brad 'The Fist' Shepherd we went along to put the course through its paces ahead of its full launch to the public on Wednesday 29 April.

Hole 7 - the half-pipe-tunnel - looks like an easy ace...it's not

The Crazy Golf course layout is within Efes Snooker Club on Stoke Newington Road and is set-up on either side of the snooker hall with 9 very tricky holes to master.

The second half of hole 5 involves a Pool table!

Plonk Golf has been created from reclaimed materials that have been repurposed to create a very unique miniature golf course. There's a working volcano on the first hole, a birdcage on the hill at the third, a loop-di-loop to tackle on the fourth, and a pool table making up half of the hole on the fifth hole. There are also more pipes and tunnels than you can shake a stick (or golf club) at!

The working and smoking volcano on hole 1 at Plonk Golf!

The Plonk Golf course is the brainchild of the team at The House of Revelry and will be open on Wednesdays (6pm to 12.30am) and Thursdays (12pm to 1am) from the 29 April. A round on the course will cost £7.50 per player.

Plonk Golf poster

The course was the 596th visited and 360th played on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

At minigolf course visit #596

In our match-up on the Plonk Golf course I defeated Brad in round one, scoring a 20 to his 27 and setting the clubhouse record.

Hole 6 was one of my favourite holes

In our second game we both shot scores of 20. we were very happy to both finish with a hole-in-one on the incredibly tricky 'Jump into the bucket' shot on the ninth hole!

Brad about to play the 6th hole at Plonk Golf

The minigolf course will be changing through the duration of its pop-up at Efes, with new obstacles and hole configurations, which'll certainly make it even more crazy.

Results of the Plonk Golf Pro Challenge

You can find Plonk Golf at Efes Snooker Club, 17B Stoke Newington Road, Stoke Newington, London N16 8BH. The nearest station is Dalston Kingsland (Overground).

Efes Snooker Hall is housed in a nice Art Deco building on Stoke Newington Road

For more information and booking details check out the Plonk Golf website.

Links:
- Plonk Golf website
- Plonk Golf on Facebook
- Plonk Golf on Twitter
- Efes Snooker Hall on Twitter
- The House of Revelry website

Related blog posts:
- Minigolf and Crazy Golf courses in and around London
- Crazy World of Minigolf Tour
- Plonk Golf in Dalston, London

Like the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour on Facebook, check out our YouTube channel and follow me and Emily on Twitter.